To Be Young Again
by badalien9
Summary: During a potions class, a mistake is made. Severus is transformed back into his five year old self, and has problems that need dealing with.


To Be Young Again Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, or any of the people or places included in this fanfic. It all belongs to J.K Rowling. I asked for it for my birthday, but she just didn't want to give it to me.... Summary: During a potions class, a mistake is made. Severus is transformed back into his five year old self, and has problems that need dealing with. Please read and review! A/N: this story takes place in Harry's sixth year. But, discount OOTP and TGOF because this is written like they never happened. BTW: I can't name things overly well... so excuse the lame chapter titles, please.  
  
Chapter one: Well, That Was Unexpected...  
  
"Potter," growled Snape, hearing muffled laughter coming from the back of the classroom. He had little patience for the boy and he had already used up his daily allotment.  
  
The laughing stopped abruptly.  
  
"Y – yes Professor?" Harry asked nervously.  
  
"Am I interrupting you?" Snape asked in his snarkiest voice.  
  
"N-no, Professor. I-I was just talking to Ron about which order to put the crushed anise seed and powdered moonstone into the potion. Sir. "Harry replied after clearing his throat.  
  
"Ah, I see... and just what did you dying so amusing about this? Do tell, the rest of us are simply dying to know." He said sarcastically.  
  
"Well sir... nothing sir." Harry replied, unable to come up with a story that would be believed by his git of a Professor.  
  
Snape resisted the very strong urge to roll his eyes.  
  
"Well then Potter, what order did you decide on?" he demanded.  
  
"Umm... I think it should be the... powdered moonstone, and then the crushed anise seed." Harry said in an embarrassed voice. Merlin how he hated this man.  
  
The Potions master didn't look at all surprised.  
  
"Well then Potter, I hope that you haven't started adding those ingredients yet. Can anyone tell me what would happen if Potter and Weasley were to do things in such an order?"  
  
One hand lifted slowly into the air.  
  
"Anyone?" he asked snidely, conveniently not looking in the hand's direction. The hand was raised higher into the air and began to move slowly back and forth, trying to catch the Professors attention, which seemed to be very evasive.  
  
"Anyone at all?" he asked impatiently. The hand was now waving frantically. Snape sighed in frustration, finally directing his gaze to the hand.  
  
"Miss Granger, what will happen?" The hand was lowered.  
  
"If the ingredients to the cooling potion are added in such a way, they will cause the potion to become very unstable. Explosions, burning, or other more irreparable damage may be the result." She said evenly, looking her Professor in the eye.  
  
Snape blinked. The girl was a walking textbook for Merlin's sake! He nodded in approval.  
  
"So potter, perhaps you should pay more attention. The same goes to all of you! I warned you against this very thing at the beginning of class. I think-"  
  
"Neville, NO!" cried Hermione, who had been paying more attention to her professor than to her partner.  
  
The potion turned an odd glowing red color, and began to bubble furiously.  
  
Snape rushed over, halting his speech.  
  
Hermione was nervously wringing her hands, and Neville was so transfixed with the red liquid in front of him that he didn't notice Snape come up behind him.  
  
Taking one look at the potion, Snape began to seethe.  
  
"Longbottom, you DUNDERHEAD! I just told you not to-"but his tirade was ended with a surprised gasp, as he was attacked by a searing pain.  
  
He had startled Neville so much, that as he swiveled to look at his Professor, his hand hit the cauldron and it toppled over. Some of the potion splattered over Snape, catching him on the face and neck.  
  
Snape collapsed, hitting the floor hard. He was now hidden from view from most of the class. The only groups that could see, were the two in the front: Hermione and Neville, and Draco and Pansy.  
  
The rest of the room held their breath, eyes bulging. They sat on the edge of their seats in anguished suspense, sure that once he got back up, he would kill Neville right there.  
  
But he didn't get up. And to the quartets great astonishment, he began to disappear.  
  
Draco stood up, knocking over his chair. Hermione hadn't moved, her hand over her mouth. While Neville looked like he was going to cry, Pansy was more interested in her nails.  
  
Snape was gone.  
  
"Bloody Merlin, he's vanished." Draco whispered in fear.  
  
Tears welled up in Neville 's eyes, and he started to shake. "I just killed my professor..." he whispered in a devastated voice.  
  
"No, it wasn't your fault Nev. He just scared you, that's all... It was an accident... Dumbledore 'll fix it." Hermione tried to reassure him. But it was hard, when she wasn't even sure herself.  
  
Pansy stood up, and with a bored expression on her face, exited the classroom.  
  
The rest of the class still hadn't moved, they were still waiting for Snape to stand up and start deducting house points and yelling for them to take their seats.  
  
Draco stood there and stared at the place on the floor where his Professor had just been, a haunted look on his features.  
  
In the silence of the classroom, there came a sharp hissing noise, and three sets of eyes darted to the floor. Snape had reappeared!  
  
Only... it wasn't really Snape.  
  
In his place was a small boy with silky black hair, a hooked nose, and wide obsidian eyes.  
  
The boy was terrified.  
  
Draco, Neville and Hermione stepped forward a bit. The rest of the class finally started to stand up, some on their tiptoes, trying to see what was going on.  
  
The boy shied away, pulling his knees up to his chest and hiding his face behind his hands.  
  
"P-p-professor?" Neville asked uncertainly.  
  
Confusion clouded the wide eyes. Which then went unfocussed and drifted shut. He drifted to the floor, and his breathing became deep and even.  
  
"Is he... Sleeping?" asked Draco in disbelief.  
  
"It would appear so." Said the Headmaster who had walked into the room at some point in the confusion.  
  
Please: REVIEW! I'd like to know if you loved it, hated it, thought it was the dumbest thing you've ever read... whatever you're thinking! 


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